Diamond Jubilee: Prince of Wales & Duchess of Cornwall Arrive in Canada (Video)

The latest in diamond jubilee news has TRH the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall arriving to a warm welcome in Canada, to represent Her Majesty and celebrate Victoria Day with her Canadian subjects. The jubilee celebrations marking Her Majesty's sixty years on the throne are intensely important to the members of the British Commonwealth of Nations, and since HM Queen Elizabeth II can't possibly visit all 54 independent member states, she has delegated other members of the royal family to represent her on official visits. Prince Charles and his wife arrived in Fredericton Sunday evening. They were greeted by dignitaries such as federal fisheries minister Keith Ashfield and New Brunswick Lt. Gov. Graydon Nicholas. Ashfield seemed particularly excited by the visit, telling press that the diamond jubilee visits are "important," and adding, "I think most Canadians appreciate the royal family and the work that they do." The Duchess remarked on the warm weather, stating it was much better than the weather they'd left behind in the UK, and received flowers from a 10-year-old girl named Kaitlyn Tozer.

This trip to Canada follows the wildly successful Canadian tour taken in July of 2011 by Prince Charles's newlywed son William, the Duke of Cambridge, and his wife Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge (formerly Kate Middleton). The Cambridges' popularity coupled with the warm welcome given to the Prince of Wales indicates a rise in popularity that the royal family has enjoyed as a whole--in light of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's April 2011 wedding and the 2012 jubilee celebrations. Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall visited Canadian Forces Base Gagetown to meet with servicemen and their families. They will also visit the Prince's Operation Entrepreneur program, which helps retiring military members transition to civilian life by starting their own businesses. They will visit various other charitable enterprises including a school serving children from low-income families as well as some historical landmarks, and will join in celebrating Victoria Day on Monday evening--this is the official Canadian celebration of the monarch's birthday, though Her Majesty's real birthday is in June.

The delight of the Canadian public in response to these events is indicative of a continued appreciation not only of the Queen, but the historic ties between Britain and Canada. Barry Adams of Saint John has an invitation to one of the events with the Prince and the Duchess, yet made the trip to Fredericton to meet their plane for another opportunity to see them. "I think there are a lot of people really excited to see them come," he said. "It's just great to see royalty come to our province." The upcoming London 2012 Summer Olympic Games are also doubtlessly adding to the enthusiasm. The Prince and the Duchess will make stops in New Brunswick, Ontario and Saskatchewan, focusing on Canadians who have made great contributions in public service. "Service to others is the central theme of the Diamond Jubilee and it is this that guides the Queen and my family in all that we try to do," the Prince explained in a column he wrote for The Globe and Mail. They will attend the citizenship ceremony for 12 new Canadians, two for each decade of the Queen's reign.

The Prince of Wales will have a private audience with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper toward the end of the trip. The theme of this tour is "For Queen and Country: Service to Canada--A Royal and A National Value."

Follow Lauren Moccio on Twitter @TheGrottoTweets for more commentary on news & politics.

Join the Conversation	You are following this conversation | stop following follow this conversation by email